Posted by Erin Fleming, guest blogger.

This is part of a series covering BWB Co-Founder Xavier's recent trip to Africa.

*November 12, 2007

Rain is soaking the red dirt roads and we are exhausted as we head to the fifth and final school of the day, Nomevu High School. We are running late because of a long presentation at Mafunda HS, but the students at Nomevu are waiting for us, even though many have quite a walk home ahead of them. Alone on a grassy hill, this school has just one building. There's only room for the 8th and 9th graders, so they'll have to drop out by 10th grade.

        
         Teachers greet us at Nomevu High School.

Thankfully, ECAG-USA, an non-profit building classrooms in this area and that organized our Africa trip (see their website or read the previous post), has placed this school as #1 on the waiting list for more classrooms, so that the students can graduate.

The process for a school to get new classrooms is that the school's home community puts up a $1000 payment per classroom, and then, through fundraising and donations, ECAG sponsors the additional $11,000. The classrooms have a standard design, so the materials are accountable to the last brick and can house around 50 students comfortably. They are built with electrical wiring, but adding power is an extra for the school to pay. What happens if ECAG doesn't build? That's it; no new classrooms. The kids don't graduate, or in some cases, have no school at all. Many students in this area still learn under a tree, but on a rainy day like this, it's a day off. Cool! say the American kids, but think of how often it can rain in a season here! And, no desks, no library.. hardly a good learning environment.

I have mentioned that all primary students are fed a meal each day at school. What we learned today is that the government doesn't sponsor high school students, so that means these kids at Nomevu had been waiting for us, without eating all day. Our hearts are breaking for these humble, appreciative students. Sorry this post might be a downer, but after we'd fallen in love with so many kids all day it was really hitting us, how hard life can be here. On the way here, on the radio, the newscaster announced that HIV/AIDS is the #1 killer of children in South Africa. How were these kids today so full of life?  I had to wonder if they thought our visit meant that we would be able to solve their problems, or if it was, you know, just a lot of fun.  I certainly had a wonderful day, but still I felt a bit guilty.

  
  The end of a long day, Nomevu HS.

Like at every school, the students had songs and dances ready for us, including  the native costumes for the girls. I don't feel comfortable posting video of the girls to BWB because they are topless, but I did think they were so beautiful. My favorite choral performance of the day, however, was this one:

Let it shine in Zululand video. (youtube)

The teachers provided a snack for us of sandwiches and chicken in the other classroom. Knowing the kids hadn't eaten, and since we'd had snacks all day, nobody made a move for the spread. Some of the ladies in our group whispered we had to take something to not be rude, so begrudgingly, we did. More guilt... Anyway, we unloaded the sandwiches and drinks we had in the vans. With that and all the leftovers from the snack, there was enough for a small meal for each student, and we felt better knowing they had eaten.

What a day! We are overwhelmed but ready to help these students graduate. If you've been following this blog, you remember that at the end of this day, after Nomevu HS, we went to visit the student Nomkhosi's family.



Xavier and Erin, bottom left, and the ECAG and Books for Africa group, enjoy the show.

Posted by Erin Fleming, guest blogger.

This is part of a series covering Xavier's recent trip to Africa.

*November 12, 2007

If you've noticed it's been Nov. 12th for a few posts, you are not crazy and I am not mistaken; as I mentioned earlier, we went to five schools and visited a student's home all in the same day! There is so much to cover that I had to break it up into several posts.

After Thembalisizwe Primary, we headed to Emasundwini Primary school. We're not cruising around a town to get there; we drive on small country roads, through hills dotted with clusters of straw-roofed huts (don't forget the zebras by the roadside). At the school, are six buildings, green and white this time.  This is another Books for Africa school and we visited the new library.

Emasundswini Library.mov (3.38 MB)

Additionally, some of the group, including Xavier, taught the students a small lesson using a world map ("Can you tell me where South Africa is?"). The teachers surprised us with finger sandwiches, which we ate tentatively (would we get sick?). 

[I have to note, looking back, that nobody did get sick from the food. I was expecting to, since my world travel experiences have taught me that when one travels, one spends a day not eating if you know what I mean.]


I think Xavier needed to work off his sandwich, so he challenged some kids to a footrace. Note how he thought the finish line was a bit earlier than the kids.
Xavier races kids 3.mov (2.18 MB)

Next up was Gqokinsimbi High School, a very special one to our leader, Henry Bromelkamp. He has personally sponsored a classroom here through ECAG-USA. He started this organization after visiting the area and learning about the original organization, Eshowe Community Action Group, whose purpose is to build classrooms in the rural area around the town of Eshowe. Henry founded the US arm so that American donors could give money more easily and be able to write off donations at tax-time.  This all begs the question, Why doesn't the South Africa government build classrooms in Zululand? Exactly. The government, possibly via some lingering racist sentiment (this authors opinion), doesn't build here, but if ECAG does, the government will provide teachers and daily meals for primary students. 
About the school name: I think the letter q stands for a click sound. Awesome!

I like this video because it shows that high school kids are truly the same everywhere.
video of Xavier talking to a cute girl at Gqokinsimbi HS. (youtube)

  
   Barb Ryan, Xavier and Henry teach some maps at Mafunda HS.

Later on was Mafunda High School, with slogans "We Live For Tomorrow" and "Conquer the World Through Education" displayed near the entrance. Here again, our group taught classroom lessons, this time using photos of Minnesota (where most of the group hails from), showing seasons and such. Not one student answered affirmatively to the question, "Has anyone seen snow before?" None of us thought a description alone can really convey what snow is like, but the students did enjoy seeing pictures of snowmen and discussing what makes our countries similar and different.
Here again, we were treated to food and drink and a very detailed PowerPoint of the school's goals through 2010.  These included the idea that the "doors would never shut" because the school would create an adult ed. program in the evenings, and sponsor community meeting space.

Here are some guys with beautiful voices and sweet moves. The ululations you hear are typical of how girls sing while guys dance here.
video of boys performing at Mafunda HS. (youtube)

Okay, one more school today... in next blog entry.
            
            Girls perform at Mafunda HS.
                     
                      Teacher at Mafunda HS.

Posted by Jack Hanlon, Northeast Regional Director


The now oft-photographed co-founder Xavier, caught
in his 5 minutes of sitting down time, on "the throne"

If you happen to be perusing CNET's News Blog today (or if you like following the myriad links that we post), you'll see a reference to a company you may recognize.  Hailed as "Eco-Alternative to Amazon funds literacy programs" Better World Books gets a pat on the back for all the hard work we do (which isn't why we do it, but it feels good sometimes). 

The article begins with a story you may have heard before:

F. Xavier Helgesen had big dreams to build Web sites after graduating from Notre Dame in 2001 with an MIS degree, but then the dot-com industry crashed.

 Instead he co-founded a company in 2002 that sells books otherwise destined for the landfill, sends some of the proceeds to literacy groups, and uses carbon-neutral shipping...

and goes on with the good news of what we're doing and how we're doing it, including our free shipping in the US, our flat rate $2.97 for international orders and how we use not just no-value books but use discarded, once landfill bound library shelving to store the books (680,000 lbs of library shelving, in fact).

Check out the full article.

Posted by Jack Hanlon, Northeast Regional Director


(Things are hoppin at OCC)

Onondaga's Student Newspaper, The Overview, has a blog, which mentions the latest Phi Theta Kappa induction. I'd talk more about it but I'll let the fine writers at OCC do the work:

Alpha Sigma Zeta, OCC’s local chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, inducted 85 new members on Oct 23, 2007. In a candlelight ceremony, members were honored for their academic achievements and service to their campus and community.

Kelly Insel, chapter secretary, had the honor of presenting checks to Elmwood Elementary School and Seymour Elementary School to purchase needed books and supplies.

*This money was earned through the Better World Books program in which members collected textbooks that were sent to Africa. For each book accepted into the program, the chapter was reimbursed money to be used in the local community.*

Debra Baehr, Elizabeth Bailey, Elaine Baker, Michael Balintfy, Andrew Borchik, Helene Brophy, Latoya Brown, Brittany Caprilozzi, Sarah Carlson, Karen Carnessali, Christa Carsten, Christina Catalfano, Melissa Ceresko, Jonah Cohen, Mert Coskan, Sean Cummings, David Currier, Amy Dederich, Caleb Defrees, Paul Dooley, Alexander Douglas, Emily Dwyer, Franciscalenae Egbuna, Christopher Ezomo, Justin Fabiny, Christine Finnemore, Megan Forman, Kimberly Germinio, Jacqueline Goletsas, Kevar Griffin, Shelby Hall-Lorenz, Peter Hawley, Machia Haynes, William Heuschneider, Lauren Jemola, Susan Johnson, Swaroop Joseph Varghese, Terea Killings, Jessica Kline, Melissa Krausnick, Craig Laduke, Katie Larock, Crystal Lauzau, Ashley LeClair, Debra Ledford-Prahl, Martha Lortie, Kimberly Lowe, Allison Masella, James McCampbell, Sarah McMichael, Jessica Milton, William Mitrus, Jason Myers, Timothy Olson, Kevin O'Toole, In Gi Park, Peter Paynter, Edward Perry, Nicholas Pikarsky, Kimmy Radell, Alison Randolph, Mike Robbins, Robert Rudeau, Dipendra Sah, Jacqueline Samora, Cadelyn Schmid, Alice Shaw, Denise Shuart, Josh Siddall, Deborah Silver, Thomas Sleeth, Staci Smith, Jill Stellmack, Sutida Sukkrasae, Andrew Swan, Margaret Swift, Timothy Szarek, Alexis Truskalo, Heather VanAlstine, Marina Vasquez, Lan Vo, Katharina Wesel, Janet Witter, David Youngentob, Jaime Zolfaghari

Posted by Jack Hanlon, Northeast Regional Director



In the past I've shown you things about Eco houses, these homes are intended to be the pinnacle of green living.  If you think that's cool, enter DONGTAN.

DONGTAN is the first of four eco-cities to be built in China with zero greenhouse-emission transit and self-sufficient water and energy systems(!) I'll let "The Cool Hunter" take away the rest of the explanation:

The city is being designed around a series of village-style neighborhoods to make it pedestrian rather than car friendly. Dongtan will generate all of its energy needs from renewable sources, with zero emissions produced by the city's vehicles. An energy centre will manage generation via wind turbines, bio-fuels and recycled organic material. A majority of Dongtan's waste will be reused and organic waste will be composted or used as biomass for additional energy production. Human sewage will be processed for irrigation and composting, hence there will be no landfill waste sites. Phase one of Dongtan, a marina village with a population of 20,000, is scheduled for completion by 2010, while 80,000 people are expected to inhabit this bit of paradise by 2020.

Posted By: Kim Emery, Administrative Support Specialist

This just in: Steven Harris, a Collection Development and Management Librarian at Utah State University, has created a new blog committed to...well, Collection and Development!

Collections 2.0.'s main focus is to show "that library collections and collection development are still important in the networked environment, and [in] developing collections that mesh with Library 2.0 and Web 2.0 concepts to create the interactive and customizable library."

Show your support and check out Steven's new blog today!

Posted by Jack Hanlon, Northeast Regional Director


[Rolandas Town, Acrylic from CT Review]

I know it sounds crazy but I actually do something other than this blog.  In fact, I'm a regional director, and my region is New York, Connecticut and Ontario.  In Connecticut, I work with the Golden Key chapter at Central Connecticut State University.  From my contact with them I knew that they had their act together, always putting forth the best effort, but little did I know that the Better World Books drive was only part of their effort.

Recently, the chapter compelled members of the campus to help collect books to be donated overseas to US troops.  They received 400 copies of the illustrious Connecticut Review.

The semi-annual journal as been published since 1967 and has included literary plays, translations, creative nonfiction and essays as well as poetry, artwork, photography and academic articles of general interest. In recent years Connecticut Review has won awards from the Council of Editors of Learned Journals and National Public Radio. Pieces published in the magazine have also earned Pushcart Prizes and appeared in Best American Short Stories, Best American Essays, and Best American Poetry.

I am consistently impressed in my capacity as an RD with the abilities of student groups to affect change and create positive development in their community and abroad. Great work, CCSU!

I found out about this over at Cool Justice.

[N.B.  The views at said website are the author's own and do not represent the views of Better World Books or yours truly.]

Posted by Erin Fleming, guest blogger

This is part of a series covering BWB Co-Founder Xavier's recent trip to Africa.

*November 12, 2007

          
           Library in Thembalisizwe Primary School.

We started our day of school visits at a very fortunate school, Thembalisizwe ("Hope of the Nation") Primary. We passed by zebras on the drive down rust dirt roads bordered by emerald green fields. I say fortunate because this school has benefited from the generosity of many organizations. It has a water reticulation system and latrines from a Wisconson Rotary Club, classrooms built by the Eshowe Community Action Group (ECAG) and a library from BWB.  The buildings are pink and yellow and surrounded by manicured walks and ornamental bushes planted by students.

We are hosted by Jethro, dressed in a pin-striped suit with yellow shirt and gold tie.  He is the principal and a born orator who has recently been to the USA and knows what wealth we have in our country.  After we saw the school he appealed to us, "Some of you may be touched, and donate."  He lays out his vision for the school: more computers, internet, a dining hall with a proper kitchen, more classrooms. Currently, two volunteer women prepare food over fires in a shed-like structure; each primary student is fed one meal a day at school.

We wandered the campus for a few minutes, listening to the learners singing in their classrooms as they do each morning and then headed to a multi-use room for a presentation by the student body.

                      
Xavier, Jethro and Melanie (ECAG South Africa director) watch students perform.

This was such a treat! Students of all ages sang, danced and recited poetry and speeches for us. We heard our national anthem and joined in for South Africa's, heard gospel songs in Zulu language, and one seemingly written for our group. The lyrics included these lines:

America, America! America you're so beautiful.
Some of us are the orphans, some of us are so needy (2x).
America, America! America you're so beautiful.
We love you, hey! We need you, hey! Can you help us, we're so needy!

We were a little uncomfortable to hear that one. It was strange to be somewhere for the purpose of helping, when the need is known, but to hear the kids sing about it. Xavier and I discussed how in the US it is bad form to appeal in that way. More cultural lessons: the 5th and 6th grade girls left the room in school uniforms and returned in costume, which was a miniskirt, a string of beads and a cardboard shield.  Our group had to overcome a bit of shock to see these young girls dancing and singing, quite well in fact, but wearing nothing above the waist. I thought it was cool to see this total other sort of body acceptance, as compared to the US.

Video of boys performing a traditional dance (youtube)

According to the program director, the school is "not like a pond, but like a running river," never stagnant.  When she thanked the Books for Africa board members of our group, she said the learners "have acquired certain skills, such as investigation. Our learners can investigate to find information. Our learners are different than previous; they have learned new skills from their library." (YAY!)

Video of the library (youtube)


Students wave goodbye at Thembalisizwe Primary School, Zululand, South Africa.

Posted by Erin Fleming, guest blogger

This is part of a series covering BWB Founder Xavier's recent trip to Africa.

*November 12, 2007

I am overwhelmed by this day! We are in Zululand, or the KwaZulu-Natal province, near the town of Eshowe, which is the hub for many small villages for miles around. Zululand is in eastern South Africa and is marked by poverty and high rates of HIV/AIDS.  This devastation is contrasted by the beautiful rolling green hills dotted with grass huts, the fantastic beadwork adorning dresses, hats and necklines everywhere and the smiles on all the faces we see.

Zululand received a container of books from Books for Africa, sponsored by BWB, last year and we are visiting schools that have a library now as a result. We have seen five schools today and at each we met faculty and students, wandered into classrooms and were treated to student dance and singing performances. I am moved by the love the teachers pour into their profession here, and the earnestness of the learners, as the students are called here.

I will begin describing our day with the end of the day, so that you readers can know something of where the learners come from.

One student we met, named Nomkhosi, invited us to come to her home; she's being sponsored by Nance, an American woman in our group. Nomkhosi was chosen to receive the sponsorship because she is one of the best of her school, and is very needy.

    
     Nomkhosi and Nance on far right, with Nomkhosi's family.

We headed to her place after our school visits. After the rainy afternoon, the red clay roads turned to mud and we almost didn't make the drive up the hillside in our overloaded rental van! We arrived to a gaggle of kids accompanied by several women and an older gentleman. The multi-generational family lives in a group of huts, which have particular uses. One was for cooking, others for sleeping and so forth. I liked that the grammas allow the baby goats to hang out in the cooking hut but the chickens had to stay outside. They had materials for another hut and a plot of land already leveled. I didn't ask about the lack of men-folk around (the guy in the video came with us). Were they working somewhere? Still alive? It isn't strange to find a family with a grandmother and kids in this area, so I wonder.

Check back for photos and video of the schools we saw today!

Meet Nomkhosi's family.mov (333.93 KB)

                        
                 Clay and straw huts belonging to Nomkhosi's family.

      
       Our group checking out the family huts and the view from the hillside.

Posted by Jack Hanlon, Northeast Regional Director



You're in California and you have a business.  You're trying to figure out how you can make a positive environmental impact despite the fact that you can't get your computer network to run on the power created by the intern you've made ride an exercise bike attached to a turbine.

We've all been there before.

Well maybe we haven't ALL been there before, but if you are allow me to make two suggestions I'm sure you'll see what I mean.  For Better World Books' purposes, since we aren't located in CA and since we have a number of fixed costs related to UPS, we have to deal with the inherent carbon emissions created by our company.  We choose to deal with these emissions by making donations such that all of our shipments are carbon neutral, a reality achieved with help of the lovely folks at carbonfund.org.

However, if you're a business (or resident, for that matter) of the aforementioned sunny left coast state, allow me to enlighten you (using renewable energy, of course, and a halogen idea bulb at that): Village Green Energy. 

Village Green, created by three guys with great commitment and too much education, is a group that offers "REC's."  An REC, or Renewable Energy Certificate is a purchase that not only offsets the carbon that you create, but actually ensures that part of the energy you use is from a renewable energy source.  In that way, not only are you offsetting the carbon output of you (whomever you are), but you're actually reducing the emissions that get into the air and simultaneously reducing your dependence on fossil fuels (look at you, you multi-tasker!).  First of all, imagine the impact you can create, just by making your own effort.  Next, imagine the kind of positive press that can create (if you don't believe me, re-read this post a few times, it'll start being clear...)

Get more info at their website.  Take a deep breath, doesn't the air seem that much fresher?

Posted by Jack Hanlon, Northeast Regional Director



As you read last month, instead of using your Google search you can opt to use "Search Kindly" (original post).  But some of you resisted saying that you prefer Yahoo search.  Well intrepid Yahoo users, get on board with "GoodSearch."

Same idea as Search Kindly, only instead of one charity per month receiving the money, you can choose your charity on the input bar underneath the search area.  Books for Africa, the NCFL and Room to Read are all involved in it and can receive your virtual donations via searching right away.  The ASPCA has earned $10.900 from people's searches, so get on their, pick a literacy partner and get a-searchin'.

Posted by Erin Fleming, guest blogger


This is part of a series covering BWB founder Xavier's recent trip to Africa.

*November 11, 2007.

For Xavier and I, starting off the day with a game of “dive for the Frisbee” in the Indian Ocean is just about perfect. The only thing wrong with this particular morning was that I forgot to take off my non-waterproof watch before jumping in the waves- d’oh!
Kites over beach on the Indian Ocean. Durban, South Africa.

                      
Our first school visit was here in Durban, at Christianenburg Primary School, which has a library with about 10,000 donated books (from a container split by 25 area schools).  There are 1305 students aged 5-15, called ‘learners’ here in South Africa, and the student-teacher ratio is almost 50:1. There are 28 classrooms and 34 teachers here. The buildings and layout are representative of all schools here; long buildings painted the school colors with flowering bushes. The principal, Nomsa Shandu, deputy principal Bonga Mkize and librarian Thandi Putini were willing to accommodate our visit on a Sunday afternoon.   

    
     School staff Shandu, Putini and Mkeze.

The library is beautifully organized and has a sign that said, “My Golden Rules: Order at All Times is the Motto of This Room”.  The books are neatly placed and include two small shelves in Zulu language; the thousands of others are in English. The learners can't check out the books but are given time to visit the library to read. Shandu, who has been here 20 years, spoke at length about the learners. She told us that the students have difficulties with the school fees, which are 150 Rand per year (under $25), but that coming to school is worth it for the free daily government-provided meal for each primary student.

We had a wonderful visit! The system works- the books are in the school, available each day for the kids.  Tomorrow is an even bigger day for us; we have five schools and classes will be in session. I’m not expecting it to be easy to meet all the kids, now knowing that many of them only eat once a day, that many will be AIDS orphans. It’s quite a different thing to know some stats about a place and to know personally the names and faces that are behind them, but I am happy thinking of the commited and caring teachers we met today.


Christianenburg Primary School.


Mural at Christianenburg Primary School, Durban, South Africa.

Posted by Jack Hanlon, Northeast Regional Director

Check out who's on the cover of this month's Business Week "Small Biz" magazine:

That's right, it's Better World Books' own, co-founder Xavier Helgesen!  Xavier, on top of a throne of Reader's Digest books that resides in our "Fortress of Solitude" (ok, it's just the warehouse) is the image of the hot new topic:

Strategies: Mission Possible
Making money while doing good isn't easy, but more companies are proving it can be done.  Here are some successful strategies. (article by Anne Field)

Pick up the issue at newsstands (or wherever you pickup up your glossies) and read about it.  If print journalism doesn't float your boat you could always root around for it online at their website.

Posted by Jack Hanlon, Northeast Regional Director

Everybody's got their party hats and soundmakers and getting ready for the infamous ball drop this evening.  No doubt many of you have your New Year's resolutions as well, such as "read this blog more" or for some of those working here "post on this blog more" or some similar sentiment.

This year, however, think about last year and what you made happen.  Maybe this year you forget about buying the gym membership that you used 3 times all year and perhaps recreating that "Pete & Pete" episode in which Pete "travels through time" by crossing the time zone boundary after midnight is somewhat misguided--if fun.  Maybe you want to consider something else, go green with your cleaners, dip your toe into solar (or just read about it first), learn a language (Swahili anyone?), get some hiking gear and get out there, learn to ski, adopt a penguin, or maybe just read a little more.  If you want it enough you can do it, and if you look, you'll see we can help.

2007 is just a memory, we look forward to seeing you in the future!

The Better World Books excursion  to south east Asia has begun successfully. Niko, Yanna, Damara, Natasha and myself (Aaron) have all survived the ~20 hours of flights to arrive in Ho Chi Min, ready to embrace the culture.

No time for elaborate postings right now, we are off to see a Pagoda.

Little known fact: our flight took us over the North Pole. We left Chicago and headed due North, contrary to my expectations that we would go West.  I almost went to knock on the cockpit, but I decided to trust in the Pilot. We circumnavigated the globe and arrived safely with no Internatonal incidents of note to report.

see you soon from the other side of the world.

-Aaron